Nigeria, Oct. 16 -- The hopes of Nigeria becoming the first African hosts of the Commonwealth Games have suffered a major setback following the announcement of Ahmedabad as the official host of the 2030 centenary edition.

The decision, confirmed on Wednesday by the Executive Board of Commonwealth Sport, effectively ended Abuja's bold and ambitious quest to bring the Games to African soil for the very first time.

The Indian city, located in the western state of Gujarat, beat Abuja in a fiercely contested bid that came down to the wire.

The decision will be ratified at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow on 26 November. For India, it marks a triumphant return to the global sporting stage-two decades after hosting the 2010 ...